FAMILY CLASS
Canadian Citizens and Permanent residents of Canada, residing in Canada, 18 years of age or older, are allowed to sponsor their family members, residing abroad to Canada. According to the definition provided by Immigration Regulations, a foreign national is a member of the Family Class, if, with respect to a Canadian Sponsor, the foreign national is:
- Sponsor's spouse(including same-sex spouses), common-law or conjugal partner 16 years of age or older;
- Sponsor's parent or grandparent;
- Sponsor's dependent child, including adopted children;
- Sponsor's child under 18 years of age whom the sponsor intends to adopt;
- Sponsor's orphaned brother, sister, nephew, niece or grandchild under the age of 18 and not married or in a common-law relationship; or
- Sponsor's relative of any age if the sponsor does not have an aunt, uncle or family member from the list above whom he could sponsor or who is already a Canadian citizen, Indian or permanent resident;
A Canadian Sponsor, willing to bring his or her parents to Canada, must meet the LICO ( Low Income Cut Off) requirements, posted each year by Canada Immigration, in order to be found eligible to sponsor family members to Canada. Canadian Sponsor undertakes to provide for the parents for the period of 10 years, starting from the date of the family members' arrival to Canada, and enters into the Sponsorship Agreement with the sponsored family member, which is a binding contract, remaining in force for 10 ( ten ) years.
A Canadian sponsor willing to bring his or her foreign spouse or dependent child to Canada, is exempt from financial requirements and undertakes to provide for such sponsored family member for the period of 3 ( three) years commencing from the date of sponsored family member's arrival to Canada. Such type of a Canadian Sponsor enters into a Sponsorship Agreement with sponsored family member, which is a binding contract, remaining in force for 3 (three) years.